Shade or curtain holder



No. 750,898. PATENTED PEB. 2, 1904. G. M. RUST @L B. J. PAULKNER. SHADE 0B. CURTAIN HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.5, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' $6114.' ,l ve 1 No. 750,898. PATENTED FEB. 2, 1904. G. M. RUST 6L B. J. PAULKNER.

SHADE 0R CURTAIN HOLDER.

APPLIcATloN FILED ocT.5,19o3.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

attenua? Patented February 2, 1904.l

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. RUST AND EDWARD J FAULKNER, OF DAYTON, ORIO.

SHADE OR CURTAIN HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters `Patent No. 750,898, dated February 2, 1904.

Application filed October 5, 1903.

To ad whom it may concern.: Be it known that we, GEORGE IWI. RUST and EDWARD J. FAULKNER, citizens of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shade or Curtain Holders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to shade or curtain holders, and more particularly to that type or class of devices employed in connection with a self-acting or spring roller for automatically lifting the curtain when the latter is free to move. Holders of this character may be divided into two classes, in one of which the holding devices are forced outward by springpressure to engage the casing, their frictional contact resisting the pull of the lifting-spring without being increased thereby, so that if the strength of the lifting-spring be suiii` ciently great it will overcome the friction of the holding devices and lift the curtain in spite of them.

The second class comprises holding devices having a species of toggle action, whereby when the holding devices are engaged with the casing the pull of the lifting-spring proportionately increases their grip upon the casing, so that the stronger the lifting-spring is the more firmly the curtain is held when locked. This class of holders has material advantages in security of fastening and permitting the employment of a strong liftingspring, and it is to this class that our present invention relates, it being in the nature of an improvement upon what is set forth in Letters Patent No. 7 28,984, granted to us May 26, 1903.

The present invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficient structure of this character which shall possess certain advantageous features of construction hereinafter more specifically pointed out; and to these ends our invention consists in certain novel features, which we will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a structure embodying our in- Serial No. 175,769. (No model.)

vention in one form. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail View of the holder proper, one-half of each of the housings being removed and the shade being in section. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of Fig. 2 on a still larger scale and showing the diiferent position of the parts. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken on the line a: of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line y y of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line .a s of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view ofv one of the halves or members of the central housing. Fig. 8 is a similar view of one of the halves or members of one ofthe end housings. Fig. 9 is a view of the inner face of one-half of one of the gripping-levers, the pivot and connecting pins being shown in section and the rubber friction-tip partly removed; and Fig. 10

is a sectional view through one of the gripping-levers when the parts thereof are assembled, the same being taken on a line corresponding with the line u u of Fig. 9 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates a casing having the usual guiding-grooves 2 in its vertical sides, and 3 a shade or curtain which normally tends to move upward under the influence of the spring-roller 4 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. l) or by any other suitable means.

5 indicates the shade or curtain stick as a whole connected to the lower end of the shade or curtain 3. The body of this stick is preferably flat and preferably composed of wood, said body being indicated by the referencenumeral 6. It is provided with a central recess 7, having a downward opening 8 for the passage of the operating-levers, hereinafter referred to. From the central recess 7 an opening or passage 9 extends to each end of the body 6, and since these openings or passages areof less width than the recess 7 there are formed on each side of the inner end or mouth of each passage 9 shoulders 10, which form vertical bearing-surfaces, as shown more particularly in Fig. 6.

I/Ve prefer for convenience'in construction to construct the Wooden body 6 iu two halves IOO or portions divided vertically in a central longitudinal plane. This permits the ready construction of the passages 9 in the form of two open grooves, which when the parts ofv the body are united form the closed passage. rlfhe two halves of the body may be united by gluing or in any other suitable manner, and the housings,hereinafter referred to, also serve to hold them together, either with or without any other means of uniting them. A

Three housings are employed-one at the middle of the stick, (indicated as a whole by the referencenumeral11,) said housing inclosing the central recess 7 and acting as a support for the operating-levers. rllhe end housings (indicated as a whole by the referencenumeral 12) support the gripping or toggle levers and also act as guides to steady the stick within the grooves 2. The central housing 11 is composed of two similar members, one of which is shown in Fig. 7 and comprising abody-plate 14, with upper and lower flanges 15, which extend half-way across the corresponding edges of the shade-stick. The lower ange 15 has a central notch or recess 16,which in conjunction with the similar notch of the other member of the, housings forms an opening through which the operating-levers extend. Each member 14 is provided with inwardly-extending sleeve-studs 17, the body 6 being correspondingly apertured, as shown at 18, to receive said studs, which latter thus serve to strengthen and more firmly unite the parts of the body. The aperturesin the studs of the rear plate are threaded and preferably do not extend clear through to the back of the plate, while the apertures of the studs of the front plate are unthreaded and extend clear through both plate and studs. Screws 18 pass from the front of the holder through the front plate and its studs and are threaded into the studs of the rear plate, thus lirmly uniting the two parts of the housing. The end housings are similarly constructed, one member of one of the housings being shown in detail in Fig. 8 and having a body-plate 19, with top and bottom iianges 2O and sleeve-studs 21 to receive fastening-screws 22. In this case, however, the body 6 of the stick is provided with elongated or slotted openings 23, which permit the end housings to be adjusted longitudinally with regard to the shade-stick for the purposes hereinafter set forth. The end housings are enlarged or extended vertically at their outer extremities, as indicated at 24, to form enlarged chambers to receive the gripping or toggle levers and also to give them a more extended longitudinal bearing upon the side walls of the guiding-grooves 2. Said notched portions 24 form guiding-heads traveling within said guiding-grooves. Within each hollow head 24 thus formed there is pivoted a togglelever or gripping-lever 25, its pivot being indicated at 26 and being located between the ends of said lever. Said pivot may consist of a pin mounted in apertures 27 in the housingplates. The upper or outer end of the lever 25 is adapted to bear against the bottom 28 of the guide-groove 2 and to grip the same forcibly. Any suitable construction may be adapted for this purpose; but we prefer to employ for this purpose the construction shown, in which the lever is shod with a tip 29, of rubber or the like. To the lower or inner end of each lever 25 there is pivoted the outer end of a rod 30, which extends inward through the corresponding passage 9 to the central recess 7. Each rod 30 is threaded at its inner end, as shown at 31, and screws into a corresponding threaded aperture 32 in a sleeve 33. Each sleeve 33 is pivoted at its inner end, as indicated at 34, to the upper end of an operatinglever 35, the lower end of said operating-lever extending outward through the opening formed by the notches 16, so as to project below the curtain and stick in a position to be grasped by the ngers of the operator. The operating-levers 35 are pivoted upon a common pivot 36, said pivot preferably consisting of a pin mounted in apertures 37 in the plates 14 of the central housing.

Each operating-rod 30 is normally retracted or drawn inward by means of a spring 38, coiled around the inner end of said rod and bearing at one end against the adjacent end of the sleeve 33 as an abutment. The other end of said spring 38 bears against a collar or washer 39, loosely encircling the rod 30 and bearing against the vertical shoulders 10 of the body 6, hereinbefore referred to, upon which shoulders said washer or collar may slide vertically to accommodate the vertical movement of the rod 30.

Between the upper ends of the operatinglevers 35 there is located a stop-pin 40, while below each lever 35 there is located a stoppin 41, a similar stop-pin 42 being located above each lever 35.

The curtain may be connected with the stick in any suitable manner, preferably by carrying its lower edge around the stick, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, before the housings are applied to the stick.

The rubber friction-tips may be secured in position in the gripping-levers in any suitable manner, as already stated, and in Figs. 9 and 10 we have shown one way of securing them. In that construction each lever 25 is divided vertically into two halves or sections, each provided on its inner face with a recess 43, in which the rubber tip lits when the two halves are assembled, they being united at this point by a pin or rivet 44, passing through the two members of the lever and through a hole 45 in the inclosed portion of the tip. The exposed portion of the tip is preferably of the same diameter as the upper end of the lever, being provided with shoulders 46, which rest upon the face of said upper end when the parts are assembled. rlhe two members of IOO IIO

the levers are connected at their lower ends by a pin or rivet 47, which forms a pivot for the outer end of the rod 30, and the lower ends of said members are cut away, as indicated at 48, to form a seat or recess, in which the outer end of the rod 30 ts.

The structure above described operates in the following manner: Under normal conditions the springs 38 retract the operating-rods 3() and force the gripping-levers outward, so that they engage the opposite walls of the casing represented by the bottom walls 28 of the guiding-grooves 2. rlhe construction and larrangement of the parts is such that the upward pull of the lift-spring of the curtainroller tends by a kind of toggle action to make the holder grip the casing more firmly in proportion as the tension of the lifting-spring is increased. Furthermore, any direct upward pressure or pull applied to the sti'ck or curtain will only increase the firmness of the grip of the holder, which can only be released to raise the curtain by grasping the operatinglevers 35 and moving their lower ends toward each other. This will move outward the operating-rods 30 and will retract the gripping or toggle levers, disengaging them from the casing and permitting the curtain to be raised by its lifting-spring aided or unaided by the operator or lowered byv pulling it downward,

`as may be desired. As soon as the operatinglevers are released the springs 38 retract the rods 30 and force the gripping-levers outward into position to engage the casing again, in which engagement they are Jfirmly held by said springs and by the pull of the lift-spring.

It should be noted that the springs 38 exercise a retractive force upon the operating-rods, so that if the shade-stick gets out of the guiding-grooves or the rods become detached from the gripping-levers there is no tendency on the part of these springs to force the operating-rods outward beyond the ends of the shadestick. This is rendered possible by the connection of the operating-rods to the lower ends of the gripping-levers and by the employment of pivoted operating-levers,to which the inner ends of the operating-rods are attached in such a way that the pivot of said operating-levers lies between the p oints of attachment of the rods and the part of the levers to which power is applied. The stop-pin 40, located between the operating-levers, prevents any ill result from arising from an accidental movement of both levers in the same direction. The stop-pin prevents either operating-lever from moving past the central line and insures the withdrawal oi' both gripping-levers when the operating levers are pinched together. The stop-pins 4l prevent excessive downward movement of the outer ends of the grippinglevers, such excessive movement being detrimental, for the reason that after the grippinglevers are in complete engagement any further outward movement of their outer ends only results in bending the operating-rods 30. The stop-pins 42 prevent in an obvious manner eX- cessive movement of the gripping-levers in an inward direction. The adjustment of the terminal housings longitudinally of the shadestick permits the holder to be adapted to varying widths of casings, while the threaded connections between the operating rodsV and sleeves 33 permits the length of the operatingrods to be adjusted to correspond to the adjustment between the end housings and shadestick, this being necessary because the end housings carry the pivots of the gripping-levers, and the distance from said pivots to the operating-levers will vary as the end housings are adjusted. In addition to this the adjustment between the rods 30 and sleeves 33 forms a means for regulating the extent to which the gripping-levers may be moved out by the springs 38. The particular construction of -the shade-stick hereinbefore described has the advantage of being light, strong, durable, and

inexpensive, the central housing inclosing the operating-levers, with their connections and springs, and forming a ready means of access by the facilitywith which the front member of the housing can be removed and replaced. The same is true of the end housings which inclosev the gripping-levers and their connections, and these end housings also form guides for steadying the stick in its .travel in connection with the grooved ways Qof the casing.

We do not wish to be understood as limitingV ourselves strictly to the precise details of construction hereinbefore described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, as the same may obviously be modified without departing from the principle of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a shade or curtain holder, the combination, with a stick, of a gripping-lever pivotally mounted in each end of the stick, said gripping-levers normally engaging the casing at points above their pivots, operating-levers pivotally mounted in the central portion oi' the stick, operating-rods pivotally connected at their outer ends to the gripping-levers below the pivots thereof, and at their inner ends to the operating-levers above the pivotal aXis thereof, and springs acting to retract said operating-rods, substantially as described.

2. In a shade or curtain holder, the combination, with a stick, of a housing mounted on each end thereof and adjustable longitudinally relatively thereto, a gripping-lever pivotally mounted in each housing, said gripping-levers normally engaging the casing at points above their pivots, operating-levers pivotally mounted in the centralportion of the stick, operating-rods pivotally connected at their outer ends to the gripping-levers below the pivots IOO IIO

IZO

thereof, and at their inner ends to theA operating-levers above 'the pivots thereof, means for adjusting the length of said rods to conform to the adjustment of the end housings, and springs acting to retract said rods, substantially as described.

. 3. In a shade or curtain holder, the combination, with a stick having a central recess, longitudinal passages extending therefrom from the ends of. the stick, and vertical shoulders at the inner ends of said passages, of gripping-levers pivotally mounted in the outer ends of the stick, operating-levers pivotally mounted in the central recess of the stick, operating-rods pivotally connected to said operating and gripping levers and extending through the longitudinal passages, said rods being provided with abutments near their inner ends, collars or washers loosely mounted on said rods and bearing against the vertical shoulders of the body, and springs coiled around said rods and bearing against said abutments and collars, substantially as described.

4. In a shade or curtain holder, the combination, with a stick, of a housing mounted on each end thereof, a gripping-lever pivotally mounted in each housing, said gripping-levers normally engaging the casing at points above their pivots, stop-pins located in housing above Vand below each gripping-lever, operating-levers pivotally mounted in the central portion of the stick, and spring-actuated operatingrods connected with said gripping and operating levers, substantially as described.

5. In a shade or curtain holder, the combination, with a stick, of a gripping-lever pivotally mounted in the end thereof, an operating-lever pivotally mounted in the central portion of the stick, a sleeve pivoted to the operating-lever and having a threaded aperture, and an operating-rod pivoted at its outer end to the gripping-lever and having its inner extending from the operating-levers to the gripping-levers through the longitudinal passages of the stick, substantially as described.

7. In a shade or curtain holder, a stick comprising a wooden body and housings therefor, each composed of two similar members consisting of a plate having flanges at top and bottom to fit the upper and lower edges of the stick, sleeve-studs extending into the body of the stick in alinement with each other from opposite sides, and screws connecting the two members of each housing through said sleevestuds, substantially as described.

8. In a shade or Vcurtain holder, the combination, with a stick having longitudinal slots at its ends, of a housing at each end carrying a gripping-lever and divided vertically into two similar members inclosing the ends of the stick and provided with sleeve-studs extending toward each other through the slots of the stick, and screws connecting the members of the housing through said sleeve-studs and slots, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. RUST. ED'WARD J. FAULKNER. Witnesses:

J. D. CLARK, S. A. DIoKsoN. 

